A “citty upon a hill” is a Puritan metaphor for a spiritually exemplary city. In a well-developed paragraph, explain the origin of the term, “citty upon a hill” and what did it signify for the Puritans? Do you think it still applies to Modern day America?

A "City Upon a Hill"

Jesus Christ told his followers that they were the salt of the earth and the light of the world.  He also referred to their community as a city that was set on a hill which could not be hidden.  Matthew 5:14 This is the biblical origin of the Puritan's "city upon a hill" metaphor.

When the Puritans were leaving England in 1630, onboard Arbella, for America, they were charged by John Winthrop to build an exemplary society governed by just laws and freedom.

The Puritans were English men and women who had left England because of the religious persecution they experienced in England.  They moved to Massachusetts Bay (the New England) to settle so that they could enjoy religious freedom.

The significance of the charge for the Puritans was that they should not forget the reason for leaving England.  They should build a society that other people would look up to as a good example.

Specifically, John Winthrop warned the Puritans never to be unfaithful to God, otherwise, their sins would be exposed, and they would become a laughing stock to the world.

In Modern day America, this charge is not totally lost.  Peoples all over the world still look up to America to be a beacon of hope, enlightenment, and freedom.  America has championed the enthronement of democratic governance in most parts of the world.

Despite the odds, America should continue to ensure that as a city set upon the hilltop that it shows the way and truly demonstrates "in God we trust."

Read more about the impact of the Puritans on American democracy at

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